Staff Reporter :
The air quality in Dhaka continued to pose serious health risks on Saturday morning, as the capital ranked ninth among cities with the worst air pollution globally, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI).
With an AQI score of 152, Dhaka’s air was categorized as ‘unhealthy’, posing risks especially to sensitive groups, including children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory or heart conditions.
An AQI score between 151 and 200 is considered unhealthy and may affect the general public, while members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Cities that topped the pollution list on Saturday included Kathmandu (211), Delhi (198), Wuhan (171), and Lahore (170) — all registering higher AQI levels than Dhaka.
The AQI in Bangladesh measures five key air pollutants: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3).
Dhaka has long struggled with hazardous air quality, particularly during the dry winter months when dust, emissions from vehicles and brick kilns, and construction activity reach peak levels.
Though air quality typically improves during the monsoon season due to rainfall, the city’s pollution levels remain a persistent public health concern.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for an estimated seven million premature deaths globally each year. Health issues linked to poor air quality include stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
Environmental experts have repeatedly called for urgent action, including stricter regulation of construction, better public transport systems, cleaner fuels, and relocation of high-pollution industries away from residential areas.
As Dhaka continues to urbanize rapidly, citizens and policymakers alike face mounting pressure to implement sustainable solutions to combat air pollution and protect public health.
